title: Otospongiosis: morphologic and microchemical investigation after NaF-treatment.
abstract: Element analysis of microareas of otospongiotic specimens is described. A total of 36 otospongiotic stapes are ultrasectioned without decalcification and examined using a transmission and a scanning electron microscopy (STEM-mode). The latter was equipped with an energy dispersive x-ray analyzer. Twenty of the stapes came from patients who have had sodium fluoride (NaF) treatment (15 to 45 mg/day) for a minimum of 12 months. The otospongiotic stapes are classified as spongiotic and sclerotic according to their pathologic characteristics and state of mineralization. Using the Ca/P ratio as criterion--measured by the characteristic x-ray fluorescence--it was shown in a blind study that the NaF-treated otospongiotic stapes had a statistically higher Ca/P ratio, indicating that the fluoride may stabilize otospongiotic lesions, particularly the spongiotic type with unstable mineralization.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000473:pathology*; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013199:Stapes / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus; D012969:Sodium Fluoride; D005459:Fluorides; D002118:Calcium